I am typing this from my spare computer. My computer that I normally use will not start up. It is running windows xp. It will go to the screen with the black background and white letters with the option to start in safe mode,start in safe mode with networking,start normally,or start at last known good configuration that worked. I have tried all of theses choices,and NONE of them will allow the computer to start up,it just goes through the windows xp logo screen like it is going to start up,then it goes back to the start up choices screen. It does this on every start up option I choose. Is there another way to start the computer?

 

I have heard of on-board memory backup batteries causing issues like this as they die.

 

Usually when a CMOS battery goes, you get an error screen telling you to go into setup mode from your POST screen.
This sounds more like a corrupted file in XP. XP pro has a "recovery" panel you can get to if you have the original disk. It will allow you to run some diagnostics and copy files but, you have to be part geek to use it and it did nothing for a complete system recovery on mine.
I've had this exact same thing happen to me a couple of times. The first time it happened it cost me $25 to find out the geeks couldn't correct it. The only resolution for mine was to re-install XP. I keep everything important on a separte HD and CD/DVD backups of critical files like financial and photo's. It's a pain getting XP, all of the XP updates and then the programs that run the files and photo's re-installed but, may be your only option. I did a "clean" install of XP.

 

Try another keyboard. If no different try another mouse.

 

Do you hear a faint beeping noise ?.

 

Could either be a virus, or the harddrive is going (has gone) bad.

I've experienced both. One was on my wife's computer. The other on my youngest daughter's computer.

Dell - wife's = virus. Had to wipe hdd and re-install OS.

Gateway - daughter's = hdd went bad. Western Digital hdd. Got data recovered and put in a new hdd. Data recovery ain't cheap!!


Isn't it strange. . . . my PC and laptops are the only computers in the house that don't have problems.
But then, again. . . NO-ONE uses my pcs, but me!! My wife lets all the kids use her desktop and laptop. I'm forever running anti-malware/anti-virus/spybot on her stuff!!!

 

no beeping noises at all. Looking to see if I have a windows xp re-install cd now,looks like that may be my only option.

 

If you have a "canned" off the shelf PC it may be a "Recovery" disk that came with the system. Those, theoretically, restore your PC to the day you took it out of the box. Some PC's recovery disks are simply an avenue to the "recovery" hidden partition on the disk. The different makers all seem to have their own methods of doing this. Some of them will boot up your PC and display a message something like, "If you are reading this you need to call tech support".

Which ever method you have, if you can get to a utility screen with an option to check disk or scan disk, it may be able to find/repair a bad sector. A long shot at best but, an option none the less.

 

ok,I was able to get to the recovery console screen,but i need the administrator pass word,and it has been 8-10 years since I used that. Is there a way to bypass the pass word? it is not the same password I use to log onto my computer,I tried that one.

 

Did you try NO password??

Just hit enter..

You can run OPHCRACK to recover passwords..

Here is a link to download the file..

It is a Linux based program that reads passwords..

here is a link

Ophcrack

 

I love its broke suggestions for computers.


It either has a corrupt start up file, or a bad allocation table.

use the recovery CD for xp to run checkdisk.

This should fix the file issue and allow the computer to start up.
If it does not, then you probably have an unreparable startup file, and there is a mode in installation from the Xp cd that will leave everything alone but re-install the important windows files.

 

ran checkdisk,found nothing wrong. Is there a way to get my old files and stuff back or do I have to just re-install windows and lose it all?

 

Use the XP CD to get a DOS prompt, then run "FIXMBR".

The other possibility is that you may have to pull the HD, put it on another computer as a slave and scan it with some AV software.

Jason

 

Take your hard drive out and put it in a USB hard drive enclosure..

Here is a link to Newegg.. They have them for $20

Newegg.com - Rosewill, hard drive enclosure 3.5

then you can connect to another PC and retrieve your files

 

yeah, tha'ts the other option to do as well.



But as I said, you can do an install repair and not loose files also.

Just do a normal install of windows and it will find the current install, then tell it to repair the installation.

if you get a prompt looking for the backup disk, your doing the wrong repair.
Gotta do it as a normal windows install till it finds the current installation.